Connected vehicles and self-driving automobiles sounds a lot like science fiction doesn’t it? The reality is that even though it sounds like something out of a Jules Verne book, we’re already using them and we’re seeing massive benefits to both the driver as well as the companies who are using them.

What’s the Down Side?

Autonomous vehicles do have a down side in that they can be hijacked or hacked as we have seen happen in the past. The many naysayers of the technology cite the hacking of automobiles and the bad technology that allowed motorcycles to stop in mid traffic, causing accidents in the past.

It is very possible that loads of goods could be stolen via a hacker or hijacker and that goods that are not meant to be publicly available could become so. This is a real concern and one that car makers and autonomous vehicle creators are addressing. There is simply nothing out there that cannot be hacked.

What’s the Up Side?

These cars and other vehicles are offering the drivers a safer trip as well as a lower insurance cost and considerable data that is telling us more about how people use their cars and how to make them much safer along the way.

Analysis of the big data that we get from autonomous cars is also helping us to provide information for other technology and other innovation.

Autonomous technology is in broad use today. It’s being used in many ways to help to make the world and people much safer.

Loads of items that are dangerous in nature may be driven by autonomous vehicles, keeping people much safer in their jobs. As these autonomous vehicles become more popular and are used more frequently the data that they provide, both in amount and in type will change, giving us a better look at new ways to make the world safer and better for humankind. Is the risk worth the reward? Time will tell, but so far, the rewards seem to outweigh the risks.